Official Theme and Dates for NOTOCON VI

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Carae Sorors et Fratres,

It is my extreme pleasure to announce the Official Theme and Dates for NOTOCON VI. Please feel free to forward this information to your membership.

On August 10th, 2007ev at 7:30pm (Anno IVxv Sol 18° Leo, Luna 24° Cancer Dies Veneris) we will kick off the Sixth biennial National OTO Conference in Salem, MA, ending with a reception Sunday evening.

The theme is best conveyed by the proposal submitted:

Beauty and Strength

*Manifesting Thelema through fraternity*

II:20 — Beauty and strength, leaping laughter and delicious languor, force and fire, are of us.**

One of the fundamental advantages of a fraternal organization over independent work is our ability to come to together in common purpose and share our insights with each other. As we ask ourselves what theme we wish to rally NOTOCON VI around, we find ourselves with a unique opportunity to both grow as individuals and re-affirm our commitments to each other for our common growth. By sharing our individual *beauty and strength*, and challenging our speakers to breathe life into this theme, we envision a series of lectures that tap the excellent amongst us to share their vision of what Thelema means here, and now! We feel NOTOCON affords a unique platform to celebrate our accomplishments, inspire our future endeavors and be educated by the best and brightest of our brethren. By encouraging our speakers to articulate *beauty and strength* and speaking on *Thelema* it is our hope that attendees will come away from NOTOCON VI with inspiration to make real change in their lives and will be given the tools whereby to do it. Furthermore, we feel this theme addresses a specifically the needs of the Order by making it apparent to all its members the value of belonging to it.

History is important; however one must not neglect the present and the future. With that in mind we would challenge our best and brightest brethren to come forward and discuss their vision of *Thelema* and aspects of manifesting *Thelema* through fraternity in this modern world. We feel that *beauty and strength* are the qualities we as Thelemites can proudly speak to. NOTOCON is time to for us to come together and declare proudly who we are, and where we are going. I envision NOTOCON VI as a sacred gathering wherein our fraternal bonds are strengthened by the beauty of our individual efforts. A gathering is a unique opportunity, to learn from our brightest, to be inspired, and it is chance to experience the excitement of what we are trying to accomplish. To that end we ask of our brethren to submit proposals that dare us, that educate us, and inspire us, but most importantly to offer those talks that speak to our hearts as to why the work we do has meaning!

We want our brethren to come away feeling re-invigorated. We want our brethren to go home feeling inspired. We want our brethren to go home with new tools and insights to manifest their Will. We want our brethren to have heard or seen a vision of what this Order can become. We want our Brethren to go home convinced that the Order is relevant, convinced that their contribution has an impact, convinced that the Order has purpose and We want our brethren to retire to their tents genuinely excited as to what that purpose is.

While there were several excellent themes submitted, only one could be chosen and this one best reflected the vision of NOTOCON shared by the Local and National Committee Chairs A vision proposed by me all those months ago, when still high from the weekend of Fraternity and Hospitality, I said to myself, Yes I will apply to host my Brethren — a vision selected by the National Conference Committee and approved by the Grand Master. A vision my own theme proposal did not encompass.

Heartfelt thank yous go out to Brother PB for your outstanding proposal and to our Sisters who proposed wonderful themes that warrant a second look, whether for another NOTOCON or a regional event at their local body, to the Selectors (you know who you are), and to the two Local Body Masters of Knights Templar, Past Master Scott Lesser and Present Master Steven Ryan for their support through the years while I learned to organize events for Thelemites (a difficult and worthy endeavor, if ever there was one).

SUBMIT WORKSHOP PROPOSALS NOW AT: speakers@notocon.org

Love is the law, love under will.